Our Last Hope
by Somarihana
Summary: Kaneki wakes up in the world of Attack on Titan/Shingeki no Kyojin/進撃の巨人 after his supposed death in chapter 142. Follow Kaneki as he makes one last attempt to fulfill his greatest wish. Spoilers :《Tokyo Ghoul, Tokyo Ghoul:re, and Shingeki no Kyoijin》 [read le manga if u wanna undertand some stuff]. No pairings. Slightly AU. Written out of order (for some reason).
1. A Dream?

**Hey guys, welcome to **_**Our Last Hope**_**. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So how Kaneki gets here will be revealed a little later, please bear with it. I've got writer's block on that part. I don't own Tokyo Ghoul or Shingeki no Kyojin. So… Are you ready, get set, GO!**

_Chapter 1: A Dream…?_

Kaneki didn't understand. He was sure he was dead, yet he was floating in a world of eternal blackness.

_Is this were ghouls go after death?_ Kaneki asked himself as his eyes scanned for anything besides the dark, cruel black.

_There!_ Kaneki saw a faint line, a line of no color or shape that split the world like the horizon. Curious, Kaneki made his way over there. Just as he reached out to touch the line, it widened and engulfed the world of darkness with a blinding white light.

Kaneki gasped as his eyes snapped wide open. He was in a field of grass peacefully swaying with the wind. The sky was clear.

That didn't matter the Kaneki. All he knew was that he was alive. He was happy to breath the fresh air again, to stretch our his limbs (kagune and kakuja included).

The white-haired youth broke out of his thoughts about relaxations when a consistent rumbling in the ground appeared. A heavy aroma filled Kaneki's nostrils that smelled almost better than human flesh.

A shadow fell over the boy, and he turned around to see a giant looming figure reaching down for him with a sadistic grin. Immediately, Kaneki activated his kagune and launched up towards the creature and quickly beheaded it.

To his surprise, the head began to regenerate. Kaneki faltered for a split second before swing around to the back of the creature.

After an hour of crippling the… thing, he finally killed it. I turns out that these things' weak spot was the nape of their neck. Kaneki satisfied his hunger before settling for the night in a tree.

* * *

><p>Whoosh! An abrupt burst of air woke Kaneki. He snapped his eyes open and was already preparing to activate his kagune. That is until he noticed the humans.<p>

They soured through the trees using a machine that propelled them into the air by latching on to tall objects. Troops were patrolling through, a separate group setting up what looks like a trap.

Using his ghoul senses, he discovered a female-gendered creature of the species he had killed last night. The only difference was that she seemed to be intelligent, unlike the mindless thing he killed last night.

_I better get out of here before I get caught in this mess,_ Kaneki considered. He decided against it a second later; he wanted to see what happened.

It seemed that the giantess was successfully captured the moment she was within the trap. Unfortunately, that was not the case.

The giantess suddenly let out a scream that almost exploded Kaneki's ears. That was when hundreds upon hundreds of giants clambered into the forest, ignoring the troops an dead set on devouring the giantess.

When it seemed the troops were failing, Kaneki finally set into action. He activated his kagune and jumped into the chaos.

Within 10-15 minutes, all the giants were devoured by the boy.

"What- " A couple of people were asking. "That boy, he obliterated the titans like they were nothing!"

Kaneki smirked as he landed on the female titan's blonde head, kagune visible.

"So these things are called titans… Eh?" He asked. A couple of people gasped. How could this boy not know what titans are?

Then again, this boy may not be human, as he has a strange looking eye and weird tentacles sprouting out of his back.

Kaneki smirked once again before tearing the nape of the Female Titan's neck apart in a flash. He was slightly shocked to see a girl dangling from one his kagune's tentacle.

"You're different from the others," he said.

"W-Wait! Don't kill her; she important!" a blond boy shouted out.

Kaneki shifted his gaze onto him, "What makes you think I'm going to kill her?"

The blond gulped at that and fell silent. Kaneki proceeded to throw the girl into who seemed to be a captain of some sort.

"Take her," Kaneki said. The captain stumbled as the girl landed perfectly in his arms.

"Wait! As Commander Erwin Smith of the Survey Corps, I decree that you must return to the Walls with us!" the cap -no- commander of this Survey Corps said.

Kaneki didn't take notice of this; he was already shooting away when he heard the man say "with us!". The boy's kagune elongated, reaching out to grab trees and propel himself away. **(It's kind of like 3-D Maneuver Gear, but with kagune)**.

"Squad leaders, Eren, after him. I want the boy detained and on the way back to the walls with us!" Erwin shouted. Immediately they all launched after him.

They rounded around Kaneki and attempted to slice Kaneki's kagune. Repeat: attempted to. Every time they tried to pierce his tentacles, Kaneki would liquefy the area it was aimed at so that it slid cleanly through.

What he didn't expect was a blow to the head. Kaneki lost altitude as the world swirled around him and he went berserk, almost activating his kakuja. He full to the ground, unharmed.

The last thing Kaneki remembered before he blacked out was Erwin ordering to take him back to the "Walls" and prepare for interrogation.

**OK, enough with the flames you guys are (maybe) aiming at me. I'm sowwy, alright! I had some writer's block for my other Tokyo Ghoul story. It should be fine by tomorrow or sooner. Well… gotta go, ciao!**


	2. Arrival

**Ummm I know I haven't updated in a long time and I wish I can make it up in some way. I have been extremely busy with Regent exams so I haven't been able to update. To make this up, I wrote a long chapter for both my Tokyo Ghoul stories. I hope you guys enjoy! Disclaimer: I don't own either series P.S.: Please go to bottom for important notes.**

_Chapter 2: Arrival_

In a distant world, there stood a kingdom, the last human-ruled kingdom that is. Considered a safe haven where the last of humanity still stands, this kingdom is surrounded by huge, towering walls of brilliant white stones. The perfect image of a peaceful, prosperous nation, is it not?

This assumption couldn't have been more wrong. Behind the three grand walls, a dark and twisted nature resides within. This nation is built on cruelty and divine selfishness.

And deep inside the walls, a young man sat with his head down, in a wooden chair. From the angle we see him in, it is quite clear that his hair was a brilliant white. Oh wait, let there be a correction. This young man was not exacting _sitting_, as in leisurely relaxing, no, he was unwillingly strapped to it.

This man, whose name we all know as Kaneki Ken, is currently unconscious. Judging from the slight bulge on the back of his head, we can guess how he came to be in such a situation.

What a silly man, to mess with the Military only lands you stuck between a rock and a hard place, many thought. But there is, as always when it came to this man, a catch. He came in, knowing he could easily get out. It all depends on his choice, does it not?

* * *

><p>A light groan escaped Kaneki's mouth. His eyes fluttered open as he stirred awake. As his eyes took in his surroundings, he allowed himself a little chuckle. Had he been hanging around Tsukiyama too much? It wasn't like him to underestimate humans to the extent that he would actually allow himself to be captured.<p>

Of course Kaneki had pondered about what would happen if this did happen, but he hated to admit that he did not actually think too much into it.

_So what move do I make now?_ Kaneki furrowed his brow. Perhaps he really should have thought deeper into the consequences of his actions if he just went around carelessly flashing his kagune like it was some holiday.

_Should I play human or just bust out?_ No, he couldn't play the role of an innocent human, they have already seen his, ah, "_extra limbs_".

But he couldn't just bust out either, as much as he hated being in this _same goddamned chair from the pits of he -_. Kaneki quickly shut out that thought. Instead he focused once again, on whether to get out this very moment and just rampage out of this prison or not.

He never got the chance to.

The large iron door that was clearly the exit creaked open. Kaneki quickly wiped his face of all emotion, his face morphing into a stone mask, and lifted his head up. A tall man with a ridiculous mustache along with a short, black-haired man strode in with an air of importance.

Kaneki made no comment or indication that he had registered their appearance. His eyes were stony cold and devoid of anything, to be honest. The black-haired man's eyebrows twitched upwards slightly, as if he was surprised about something. It, however, went unnoticed by most as the movement was ridiculously miniscule.

"Before we begin your interrogation, I highly suggest you cooperate with us. I do believe you know what the consequences are if you do not?" the short man said in a bored manner. His hands held a two-page document that was most likely the list of questions he would be asked.

Kaneki sharply nodded his apathetic expression still present as ever. Well, it appeared apathetic to his interrogators. He even showed no fear or nervousness as a metal tray was wheeled in.

A wide assortment of "toys" were present. Kaneki was briefly reminded of the bloody tray Yamori had showed him to install fear in him. The ones presented before him now were still not as frightening as Yamori's by a whole lot.

"Since you will most likely be dead by the end of this conversation, I'll introduce myself," the shorter of the two men stated as if he was reciting lines. Kaneki thought that this man was quite like him in some ways. He was also short, cold, and poker-faced practically 24/7.

"I am Squad Leader Levi Ackerman of the Survey Corps and this thick-headed dolt behind me is Vice-Commander Kitts Woerman from the Garrison," he looked up to meet Kaneki in the eye. Woerman gave Levi a hard look in response. Kaneki suppressed a laugh from exploded out. **(I have no idea about the spelling of his name or rank please excuse me if it's wrong)**

"Shall we begin?"

**Whoop whoop. Did I mention I love cliffhangers? This was one looong chapter (for me to write). It may seem a bit sort because of the way I formatted the chapter, I'll take care to fix that a bit so it's easier for you guys to read. I have also to write small omakes that while they may seem irrelevant, I can guarantee that it WILL hold a huge role towards the path Kaneki takes. No, they will not be funny as I have been told over and over to have a twisted and horrible sense of humor. They will hold some dark themes that may not always be apparent. That reminds me, the next chapter is going to have quite a lot of blood and gore in it. Brace yourselves. [Review answers down below]**

**I want to write Akaneki scenes so I'll probably start a Tokyo Ghoul one-shot collection sometime.**

**Omake 1: Glass Breaking**

It was a dark night. The stars where overridden by the street lights, a lone motorcycle zooming down the road outside.

I couldn't sleep.

I rolled over to my right side, trying to get comfortable. A moment later, I twisted left to stare at the clock. 3:00 A.M.

I groaned as I rose into a sitting position. Something wasn't right. I didn't know what, but nothing felt right.

I slipped out of bed to gaze out the glass wall on the far right of my room. As I approached it, I laid a single hand on the brilliant glass.

In an instant it shattered. I fell backwards, eyes snapped shut, my arms raised to protect myself from any stray falling shards.

When I opened my eyes once more, I found that I was unharmed. But I wasn't happy at all. Why did it hurt so much?

Then I realized what had happened. There was glass in my stomach but no matter how much I wanted it to go away and sleep, I couldn't. **No matter how hard I tried.**

**Answers to reviews:**

**** .73**: Thank you for the constructive criticism! I tried to work as you suggested I should do. I am not exactly good with fight scenes as I make up quite the complex ones but I'll try my best to write satisfactory fight scenes for everybody! I want to take character development a bit slow so I think I might speed it up a little seeing as it doesn't seem to be successful at this pace. And the fast pacing this is a habit I'm trying to break. I used to write only short stories you see.**

**Anon: Thank you for the feedback, I think I'll fix the first chapter to make things a bit more clear. I was a bit exited at the time and wasn't thinking too clearly so I suppose it reflected onto my writing. No, I am not trying to make Kaneki overpowered or happy-go-lucky. I apologize if I didn't really show his inner feelings too much but I'm planning an omake chapter about his inner feelings and whatnot. As for the overpowered thing… you'll see in the next chapter XD.  
><strong>

**Kaioo: What I am going to say is the same as what I told Anon above, I'm re-planning and fixing the first chapter. It won't affect the storyline too much, seeing as how we are only in the shallow waters of the story now. The summary also states that this story is a little AU so you'll have to wait until next chapter to see. XD  
><strong>

**Tontonte: Your wish has been granted. XD  
><strong>


	3. 天个飞机

**I posted this chapter some many days late because I have put a lot of effort into this one. Consider it a generous Christmas present. As much as I love horror and tragedy, I absolutely suck at writing any bloody or gory scene. And yes, I handle blood and gore to the point that the death scenes in Another will not and will never faze me. Also, I made a Wattpad! Actually, I've had one for a year but I didn't know what to do with it. So, I decided to put the short horror stories that I write from time to time there. The name is Somarihana, same as here (tho it might not show for some reason).**

**GAhhhhhh I ranting agains. (Notice that grammar is wrong on purpose). There are more VERY IMORTANT notes on the bottom.**

_Chapter 3: __天个飞机_

In an iron-cold room, silence was not common. That's why _all_ the men, save for one, raised their eyebrows in silent shock. Oh wait, let me correct my mistake. _Two_ did not do so. One was openly gaping; the other was holding back the smallest of smiles.

Our white-haired protagonist had not even let out the slightest noise. No matter was the fact that the tip of his pinky finger was dripped in blood. The small sound of a black nail hitting floor was not left unnoticed.

A short man was holding a pair of metal pliers in his hand. His hand shook ever so slightly, something that Kaneki did not fail to notice. There was no scream.

Ackerman quickly gathered his composure, which had slopped limply around him. Woerman saw and made a hasty attempt to bring his splattered self together again. Like how a cracked egg cannot be pieced together once again, he failed epically to do so.

Kaneki once again had to hold back the intense urge to lift the corners of his mouth. Yes, he was shocked that he was injured, but like how a ghoul cannot survive a fall from the top of a skyscraper, he can be injured in other ways too.

Kaneki almost furrowed his brow in thought. It was true that his skin could not be cut my any metal besides quinque metal… But was his skin wasn't cut, was it not?

Yes, it appeared to be quite obvious to Kaneki now, that since his nail was _yanked out_, it would make sense that he would bleed. The pain was most definitely not of much pain; it could be compared to a paper cut, however a deeply cut one.

Kaneki just wanted his boredom to go away.

* * *

><p>Levi Ackerman was terribly frustrated. He'd pulled out all the boy's nails but yet no sound had escaped his mouth. Not one muscle moved, except the lazy shifting of his eyes as the boy's nails were taken, one by one. Crimson blood squirted out from the wounds and onto the black tiles.<p>

Ackerman repeated the questions over again:

"What is your name?", "How old are you?", and "What are your intentions"?"

He was met with a firm silence.

Ackerman resisted the urge to wipe his brow. He would rather not get blood in his hair.

He shot Kaneki a glare. He didn't even bother trying to hide his anger, his emotions overriding his personal wishes.

Did he mention that this boy had a _ridiculous regenerative speed that bested Jaeger's_? No, he must not have.

In any other circumstance in which knowledge of titan shifters where not in his possession, Levi may have been surprised. Not that he wasn't surprised about the existence of such a person with a strange eye and eight tentacles.

If it wasn't for this abnormal regenerative ability, Levi may have been tempted to admit that he may have been hallucinating or anything of that sort. Of course, he is too prideful to admit that to anyone…

Ackerman snapped out of his thoughts. Woerman was reaching for the knife on the platter. Levi opened his mouth to protest, but was interrupted by an angry look shot his way.

"If pulling his nails out won't make him talk, we'll just have to cut him until he gives up!" Woerman screamed as he hefted the knife far above his head.

Levi sprang from his seat, trying to stop him. _It's too early to do that_, he wanted to say. His eyes widened as he saw Woerman's hands point the knife downwards. Levi was frozen in place as the knife plunged down. Levi just looked away, bracing himself for the all-too familiar sound of cutting flesh and an ear-piercing scream.

_Plink_. No scream no sound of torn flesh. Nothing but the sound of metal clattering on the floor. Levi heard Woerman make small stuttering gasps. Slowly, Ackerman brought himself to look at the cause for Woerman's extreme shock.

When Levi's eyes registered what was before him, he was tempted to hyperventilate too. There was no wound, no blood, and no emotion written on the monster's face.

Levi glanced at the twisted and distorted knife on the floor with slight fear. He gathered himself for the umpteenth time and turned to face the monster.

"Tell me. _Who are you?_" Levi forced out. He was rewarded with a smile that looked so foreign on the face of the monster that held the shape of man.

"I thought you'd never ask. My name is Kaneki Ken. Nice to meet you."

Levi couldn't get that smile that seemed so _carefree_ (of all things) and _wrong_ out of his mind. In a split second, however, Levi decided that this was a perfect opportunity. As much as he hated to admit it, his uncle's words were of some use to him.

"Hello, Kaneki Ken. Would you like to join humanity in its war against the Titans?"

**Aaaand that's that. This was one very long chapter, almost twice as long as the last one (I think). This one took me twice as long to do so maybe? Eh. Now, time to get serious. I WILL TELL EVERYONE NOW THAT KANEKI IS NOT OP. And **_**that**_** is Final. As for omakes, I **_**highly suggest**_** that you read them and try to decipher them as I put a lot of effort into making it mysterious and puzzling. And YES, they **_**do**_** play a role in the story. Speaking of hidden messages, the Chapter titles will now contribute to story development and foreshadowing. There will be literary referencing in the future, so please be prepared. **

_Omake__: No Omake because it's 11:17 at night and I'm half dead._

**Review Answers:**

**Nissangtrlover2596: You are 100% correct. Yes, Kaneki has been in pain for way too long for that to affect him.**

**Misminor: Ah… I think the way I wrote it may not be all to your liking, as the torture methods come straight from the manga (I'm not sure about the knife tho) [Agghh that spoiler… I'm sorry ;_;]. I apologize if I didn't meet your expectations.**

**Bob is Life: Thank you for sticking by and for the reminder! (I feel so wanted). Also, I do believe that they would bend and twist most times than break… (It was in Tokyo Ghoul manga).**

**InsanityPie: Wow! I'm so glad that you wrote so much for me…. I be very flattered. Very nice prediction about Levi's reaction you have there, congrats! Also, Yamori used steel tools. He just injected Kaneki with RC Suppressant to take away his ghoul strength and durability away. Also Kaneki, while he is strong, is not going to be all that OP to the point that he can do whatever he wants. Even those without many physical limits have mental ones.**


	4. 我的心爱你

**I designed a new cover for this story. I hope everyone likes this one better! Full version is on my Paigeeworld, you can find my username on my profile. Disclaimer that everybody knows: I don't own anything. Can I hear some theories and story analysis in the review please? ;) thank you thank you~!**

_Chapter 4: __我个心爱你了_

Kaneki lifted his hands up to his collar to rearrange his collar. His frustration was steadily growing as the button kept coming loose. Kaneki hated to admit it, but it was becoming harder and harder to maintain his trademark poker face.

Kaneki subtlety let out an air of annoyance as he straightened up and glanced at his reflection in the mirror once more.

_I assume you'll make yourself presentable before you meet the others? _Kaneki remembered these words directed at him. Kaneki could swear that the goddamned midget, not that he wasn't short himself, knew that he would be annoyed with this measly piece of fabric.

Who made this shirt anyways? The fabric felt as if it was meant to be loose and comforting, but Kaneki just felt a bit claustrophobic in this garment. Did he forget to mention how large the button holes where?

Kaneki shoved his emotions away, turning to face the door. He let out an exasperated sigh before he opened the door and walking down to the lower floor of this stone castle. The fact that he is supposed to live in a _castle,_ of _all things_ didn't make him feel any better.

Oh, right. There was the irritating fact that they wrote in English but spoke in Japanese. Kaneki could already feel a headache coming in. He was glad that he was a minor in Foreign Language. He had heard of Stephen King's works and had wanted to read the original, not the translations.

Kaneki reached the large set of wooden doors that were too elaborately decorated for his liking. He adjusted his collar once more before gently knocking three times.

"-and speak of the devil. Please come in," an unknown voice said. Kaneki proceeded to push the door open.

Kaneki was met with a room filled with many people. He took notice of the wide variety of people with the ethnicity of different parts of Europe. Italian, Russian, Greek, _German_. He only found one with the same oriental features that he held.

Her unnatural blue-grey eyes seemed to bore into him. Kaneki decided that he should steer clear of her. Her eyes reminded Kaneki of his own self too much.

"Everyone, please welcome our newest addition to the Scout Legion," a man with striking blonde hair said warmly. The man, who was clearly the leader, gave Kaneki a small encouraging nod.

Kaneki did not return it.

He made his way over to the wooden table occupying the majority of the people. He took the empty chair that was obviously reserved for him.

A boy with extremely short hair that held a resemblance to a monk piped up.

"Ka-Kaneki Ken, was it?" The boy was given a slight nod in response.

Kaneki's eyes stared at the plate of mashed potatoes and rice in front of him. There was no meat.

"He-hello, I'm Connie Springer; nice to meet you, Ken," Connie started. His voice tore through the tense atmosphere. He smiled awkwardly as he held his hand out to Kaneki.

"Please address me as 'Kaneki'," Kaneki said in a quiet voice. He didn't shake Connie's hand.

The tense atmosphere had been dispelled, however temporarily. People started to warm up and ask him questions

"Where are you from?" "What is your opinion on Titans?" "What are your interests?"

Minor, trivial questions like that. There was one question, however, that held a subject most were too afraid to touch upon. _What was your history?_ Or, to be specific, any question that wasn't vaguely related to his past was not spoken out loud.

And then—

_That_ question was asked. It was inevitable, that one curious person would touch upon his history sooner or later.

"Did something happen in the past?" somebody started. When everyone glanced at him, the boy blushed and stammered, "I-I mean, he is kind of c-cold and I just wondered if something bad happened…" He blushed some more and held up his hands in embarrassment.

_Clang_. Everyone in the entire room quickly snapped their heads over to Kaneki. He had dropped his metal spoon and had started to shake, ever so slightly, to the point that it could not be seen unless one was a ghoul. He stared down, his face expressionless.

A wave of emotion washed over him and he struggled to keep up his apathetic face. He thought of his mother, the way he'd tried to cope with everything, past the memories in the room in which he lost everything, to the night he gave up and fell asleep. He let himself have the pleasure of a small nostalgic smile as his eyes pricked and started to blur.

He blinked away the foreign feeling building up behind his eyes, in his heart, and _stabbed into_ his brain and soul.

In the end, he managed to lift his head, his eyes stony cold as ever. He cupped his hand under his chin and replied in a hollow monotonous voice, "No. Why do you ask?"

Darkness descended earlier than usual that night.

**This was hard to write, to be honest. Ishida hasn't updated Tokyo Ghoul: re, so I don't really have the fresh feeling of angst and the angst that comes with the biting realizations when I look back for any foreshadowing. Also, references from Tokyo Ghoul: re will start to leak further into this story, as our Kaneki is the one that had accepted everything and let go of the false realities and personalities he brought out to cope with everything. I suppose he is the current Kaneki (Akaneki) but with a bit more emotion (you'll see the emotion part). Oh geez, I get shivers of excitement going up and down my spine thinking about writing the Akaneki scenes that appear in this story (whoops accidentally let that out please ignore).**

**Then there's the excitement of seeing everyone's faces when****— (whoops please ignore once again)**

_Omake: Lycoris Radiata_

A field of flowers, the smell of blood,

Red is angry, black is a monster.

And what is white? The bliss of sleep.

The colors turn orange,

The leaves fall,

It's beautiful, isn't it? Autumn.

It hurts, it hurts.

'Till I know no more,

And I fall.

Blindly, I embrace sleep.

**So yeah... poems are my soft spot. I think everyone knows what this freestyle poem is about, right?**

**Review Answers:**

**Steelvulture: Kaneki wanted Levi to act on his own, not by the orders of some random higher-up.**

**Jy24, Kuroyuki no Ryu, WanderingWatermelon, Itharax, Crazyhorse1774, Guest: Ahhh thank you so much. ^^/**

**Luna demonaica: Mucho gracias, Señor(a). Yo estoy feliz porque tú gustan. ;)**

**Skeleton Girl: I'm very glad that you liked. I read your story, seems interesting. I might adopt it, but knowing me, I'm going to shove it somewhere because I have a very short attention span.**

**Lizzybear54: Ahhh here is your next chapter. XD**


	5. Bonus Chapter: Phlegmatic

**Here is an omake that I wrote but ended up too long, so I made it a bonus chapter. I hope you guys enjoy! Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

**Also, there seems to a bug in which I cannot see the reviews. Please PM me if you have something very important that you want to say to me.**

_Phlegmatic_

Kaneki swirled the water with his hand. He was sitting against a tree, his hand dipped in the pond. Green foliage was scattered around him. From a distance, one might assume that he was very relaxed, maybe even happy. But the truth was far from that.

Kaneki was deep in thought. His heart felt something that he had forgotten the name for, and he was unhappy because of he had forgotten. His eyes slightly squinted in frustration as he watched the water churn and flow.

His eyesight blurred suddenly and he had to blink to clear his sight again. This had happened a couple times after the talk that day at dinner. After that day, however, the biting pain in the back of his eyes had faded.

A hand suddenly grasped his shoulder and Kaneki twisted to face the person that had somehow managed to sneak up behind him.

"You- you're the Titan boy, right?" The green eyed boy smiled sheepishly as he lifted his hand off the other's shoulder.

"S-sorry for bothering you, Kaneki. I'm Eren Jaeger, the 'Titan boy'," The boy replied.

Kaneki relaxed and told him it was fine. He turned back to stare at the water, his hand now withdrawn from icy cold pond. His eyes suddenly held some strange emotion as the softened.

Kaneki spoke, "What do you want?" His voice was soft compared to his usual apathetic voice.

"I want to help you"

Kaneki just turned his head to stare at Eren.

"I apologize, Jaeger-san. I do not understand what I would need help fo—" Kaneki was cut off by Jaeger's hands suddenly grasping his shoulders.

"Stop lying to yourself! You're hurting; holding the pain in wouldn't help at all!" Eren yelled at him. His eyes were filled with concern for the older male.

Kaneki just looked at the ground, avoiding Eren's eyes. His face was forced into his trademark poker face. It was quite obvious that he was struggling to keep up his cool façade.

Kaneki's expression finally showed on his face as it turned dark. He lifted his arm and pushed away the other's hands from his shoulders uncaringly. He glanced slightly up, his hair hiding his grey eye. The one visible bloody red eye clashed against Kaneki's white hair, pale skin, and white schlera.

He was angry. Kaneki stood up abruptly and strode back into the castle. Eren suddenly realized that he should not just stand and watch so he darted after Kaneki. He caught up to Kaneki when they reached the hallway of Kaneki's room.

"Hey—" Eren reached out and put his hand on Kaneki's shoulder in an attempt to stop him. His arm was shoved away in a rough manner.

"What do _you_ know _anything_ about _me_?" Kaneki shouted. It became very clear to Eren that he had stuck an extremely sensitive nerve in Kaneki, one deeper than he had intended to dig into.

A guilty look flashed across Eren's face before he retaliated harshly.

"Well, _I'm sorry_ for _being a good comrade_ and _worrying_ about _your sorry ass_!" Eren snapped back. He began to walk away before stopping midway to jab one more insult.

"And I'm _pretty sure_ that _you didn't_ have to see_ your mother brutally murdered_ in _front of you_!" Eren was starting tear up by now. He hadn't meant to get this emotional. He turned to walk away again before he heard a small but distinguishable sob.

"A-at least, at least your mother loved you and d-didn't, didn't h-hur—" Kaneki was letting a single tear fall from his cheek. Eren, who had turned when Kaneki started talking, was in shock. He could guess what Kaneki was saying and immediately regretted saying what he had said hastily earlier.

Eren opened his mouth to apologize to the older male. Kaneki ran into his room and slammed the door. He hadn't even given Eren a chance to take it back.

Eren closed his mouth, pulling his lips into a thin, grim line. His hand formed a fist, for he was angry at himself for hurting his comrade when he had meant to help. As he turned to leave, he glanced somberly once more to see if Kaneki had come out.

The night was filled with cold silence.

**Errr… I swear I did not pull this out of my butt at 10 O'clock at night. This was a random thing that I wrote late at night because the idea had been lingering for a while and also because Ishida is late with Tokyo Ghoul: re. I personally say that this was a failed attempt at angst… please forgive me for this.**

**[Reminder] Review answers: None because of a stupid glitch. PM me if the message is urgent.**


	6. Piety

**This is 100% late. I got caught up with watching the new series **_**Mr. Robot**_** and playing Aura Kingdom. I also learned that doing an IIM paper at last minute is a stupid idea. Pardon me?**

**I'm also writing everything out of order, did you guess that? Yes, no? Sorry not sorry *evil smile* Disclaimer everybody knows already: Don't own anything.**

_***Important beforehand note: Hange or Hanji, I DON'T CARE. Both works for me.***_

_Chapter 6: Piety_

Kaneki Ken woke up to the sound of a low rumble and a sting in his back. He responded to the pain first, assuming that he had let out his kagune sometime during the night and had gotten a tentacle or two squished or cramped up somewhere.

He peered out behind him, expecting to see a mass of red branching out from his back. He was say nothing but empty air behind him.

It was when he heard the second rumble that he realized that he was starting to get hungry. He wanted to face palm as he was practically presented with a feast in this world but he couldn't kill or eat even one of those inside these god-forsaken walls. Sometimes he had wondered why he himself was so determined to have his wish fulfilled but he always ended up swallowed by a wave of memories.

Kaneki sighed as he slipped out of bed and into a dress shirt and pants. The real question was why he felt that mysterious sting in his back. Kaneki sincerely hoped that he wasn't hallucinating again. He dived into the memory of that pain.

Kaneki turned towards the cabinet on the far end of the wall and reached for the lowest drawer. That's right, Kaneki realized, it wasn't really a sting. It more like a_ slap_. Kaneki's eyes widened with realization and struggled to figure out what had triggered _that_ memory.

As he furiously thought, he grabbed a velvet case stuffed way in the back of the drawer and snapped it open. Kaneki took a deep breath before he lifted the white crystalline stone with his left index finger and thumb. He briefly remembered sneaking that piece away from the site were that crack in the wall appeared.

Kaneki shoved his thoughts on _that memory_ to the side as he pondered what had happened that day at the wall was real or just another strange hallucination. He held his right thumb to the jagged end of the stone and pierced the skin.

A small drop of blood formed on the cut and stained the white body of the crystal.

Kaneki shut his eyes, letting out a slow, deep breath. Now that he had checked to see if his suspicions where correct, he wasn't sure what to feel. Should he feel happy? Kaneki feels that he should, but yet, that feeling refuses to touch his heart.

He snapped his eyes open. In one quick motion, he stuffed the crystal back in its case, back into the dark confines of the bottom drawer.

He swiftly turned and strode out the door.

* * *

><p>Kaneki wasn't sure what to expect when he was told that Wall Rose had fallen. He hurried up to the roof to see, scanning the area for the direction of attack. Over there! The sun is starting to set over that way, so the direction the Titans must be advancing from is the South!<p>

He quickly ran back downstairs, shouting to all that were situated in the lower floor. He let out in a loud commanding voice, "The Titans are approaching from the South, distance 500"

He paused to take a sharp breath. He feature hardened and his shoulders tensed slightly.

"You don't have time to don your full combat attire. Get on the horses on the double; go around the neighboring villages and get the villagers to evacuate immediately," Kaneki said as his eyes swept around the room.

"Am I clear?" Without waiting for an answer, he turned quickly and strode in an almost stiff manner to the stables.

* * *

><p>Kaneki still was not sure if he should have anticipated what had just happened. His nose may have horrible sense of smell (in ghoul terms) but his ears were quite adequate when it came to picking up on things he should know.<p>

That hearing may have saved him much trouble in the past, but know he only wished that he hadn't heard such a thing. He started to fear that he'll lose sight of _it_.

Kaneki had heard somebody give up. The entire human race has lost? Kaneki wanted to laugh. The humans who inhabited this world were undoubtedly ten times more cowardly and selfish than those at CCG that persisted on even in hopeless situations. It was amazing how somebody with such lack of willpower could hold such intense racial prejudice that could rival even that of the disgusting beliefs ghouls and humans back in his world held.

Perhaps it was the cowardice.

Kaneki wanted to go up to that roof, slap that man across the face and shove him down some Titan's throat. Or maybe Kaneki should let him have a taste of his own intestines first; let him feel the stick blood sliding down to his throat and drowning him.

Somebody else beat him to it. Just less…violently. Kaneki sighed and cleared his mind. His hunger was really starting to egg him. When was the last time he ate? Oh, right. It's almost been a month since he last ate.

Kaneki left the horses for those kids to handle. They needed the experience more than he did.

* * *

><p>It's been 20 hours since the fall of Wall Rose. Kaneki had left with Armin, Mikasa, and Eren. He believed in Sasha and Connie to be able to take care of themselves when they reached their villages. Over the time he had spent with those kids, they had melted his heart, even if ever so slightly.<p>

Kaneki knew that he really shouldn't grow attached to these kids, but he really couldn't help it. Their interactions, their belief in the good of humanity; Kaneki was reminded of the façade he held before Yamori forced part of him to wake up. Those eyes that still held some innocence, innocence that he will never hold because his hands are stained with blood and his soul black as a demon's, haunted him.

Besides that, he didn't have any other good reason why he had decided to join an overweight "priest" in a cramped cart.

"What are we supposed to do now?" Armin's voice sliced through the tense silence as if it was butter. He took a small breath before continuing, "Wall rose got breached all of a sudden, and now I…" He made a worried face.

"…Now I don't know what we should do anymore," he paused, "Even if we manage to deliver Eren to the frontlines, I doubt it will change anything anymore…" Armin shot a subtle but dark glare at the priest.

"Why do we have a priest from the wall cult with us…?" Kaneki wanted to throw his hands up in the air. _Finally_ somebody had taken notice of the fat man that was taking up half of the bench on his side of the cart.

"Ah, that well, we're friends with Nick here now, you see. Right?" Hange had slung her arm around Nick's shoulders as if they were "best bros". Everyone deadpanned at that. Nick just nervously glanced at the woman clinging to him.

Hange sighed and regained her posture, "He knew about the titans in the wall, but till now he has been keeping silent about that amazing fact."

She pulled on a dead serious face and continued, "I have no idea why, but he seems adamant about keeping his mouth shut where the secrets of the wall that he knows are concerned, even if it costs him his life…"

"Apparently the members of his sect know a lot more things about the wall," Hange finished. Kaneki saw Eren start to move and quickly angle himself as far away from the boy as possible, reaching to cover his ears.

"_Huh?! What the HELL?!_" Eren burst. He stopped, a wave of nausea washing over him. Mikasa forced him to sit back down, her voice chiding and concerned when she spoke, "Stay put! The aftereffects of your Titan transformation aren't gone yet!"

Hange waited until Eren calmed down before she started again, "I was going to ask some other sect members, but he chose to come with us out of his own will."

"The situation has changed, so it seems after he had witnessed all what happened, he's been having doubts if he should follow the rules, so he wants to see the real state of affairs with his own eyes…"

Nick began to sweat a bit more after he took notice of the intense stares boring into him. Eren spoke again

"Wait, wait, wait, wait…" He stuttered, "It's just weird you know?"

He gained a bit of confidence before he continued, "I-If you know something, please just tell us!" His voice started to hold a slightly desperate quality, "What can be more important than preventing the total annihilation of the human race?!"

Hange cleared her throat, "I wonder about that, Nick…"

"The pastor looks like an honest upstanding person to me… That's why I think that maybe…" She glanced over at Nick and didn't fail to notice him averting her eyes, choosing to stare at the floor instead.

"…Just maybe there might be a cause more important than preventing the downfall of humanity…"

Levi finally spoke up, "Well, from where I stand, this one seems to have some guts, but what about the other fanatics from their little cult? I highly doubt that _all_ of them can boast this kind of willpower…

"Oh well, there's lots of ways to make a person talk," he drawled as he slid a metal gun from inside his coat just slightly into view. Kaneki wanted to intervene, but he even he knew that some necessary evils must be done for the "greater good" Levi and the rest of the Scout Region had in mind.

"I may be useless in combat right now… but I sure as hell am capable of keeping close tabs on one old man," Levi clarified as he narrowed his eyes with distrust.

"So do us both a favor and _don't_ try anything that might result in new holes opening up in your body," He warned. Kaneki deadpanned at him, his expression sending him a silent _"seriously?_"

Levi relaxed a little before address Hange, "On another note… Hange."

"Hmm?"

"It's news to me that you have a shady hobby of playing with rocks…," Levi inquired.

"Ahhh… This —this is not your ordinary rock," Hange smiled brightly, her eyes holding a slightly psychopathic look to them.

"It's a piece of the Female Titan's hardened skin that I found during the operation," she revealed.

"Eh?!" Armin exclaimed, "It didn't disappear?!"

"Nope!" Hange replied, "And you know what the best part is? I matched the material with a tiny piece that fell from the crack in the wall. It's the same material!"

"In other words, the wall itself was made by Colossal type Titans that became its supporting pillars," Hange concluded.

Mikasa piped up,"So it's really just like what Armin said…"

Armin opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by Kaneki, who had finally taken a serious interest in the conversation.

"As of now, it's going to be difficult to plug Wall Rose, due to the fact that there are no boulders huge enough…" Kaneki trailed off, "But what if a transformed Eren could plug the breach using that hardening ability?"

Everyone suddenly tensed. Eren held a worried face; all that responsibility that had been piling up on him recently was really wearing him down.

"Plugging the breach with my body…?!" Eren's faced was tight, doubt lacing his voice.

"Well… Since the material properties are identical… what will be left after you undo your transformation should be huge fossilized statue that won't evaporate or disappear," Hange said.

"Just imagine! If it is actually possible… we could do so much more to aid humanity!" Hange started to shake uncontrollably with excitement. She was grasping the stone in her hand so hard that it'll leave an imprint in her hand later.

"I propose that we also consider this newfound information in a different way," Kaneki intervened.

"Huh?! What do you mean, Kaneki?" Hange stopped shaking. Kaneki cupped his hand under his chin in thought.

"Well, doesn't the fact that the Wall Cult knew about the Titans inside the Wall strike you odd?" Kaneki questioned.

"Of course it's odd. What are you getting at?" Hange responded.

"Think about it; if the Wall Cult knew about that, then it would make sense if they knew about the Titan stone making up the Wall. Say, isn't there some officials in the government that are part of the Wall Cult? Wouldn't that mean that the government could have possibly hid this information from us?" Kaneki's one red appeared to glow, giving him a slightly menacing look.

Hange's face was morphed into that of shock.

"This changes so much…How about we focus on plugging that hole first, eh?" Hange forced out a weak smile. Kaneki bit back a counterargument and closed his eyes.

He had no interest in the rest of their conversation, so he willingly let himself fall into slumber. Before he slipped into the unconscious world, he was reminded:

"That's right. The world is cruel, and it's the inhabitants that twist it."

**WOAH~! I actually wanted to write this chapter for a while, but that excitement died down quickly because this chapter was so incredibly hard to write. I wanted to focus more on story development that Kaneki's ideals. Since I'm writing this according to the manga, there is going to be a lot more spoilers later on (I read the ending leak). As I stated wayyyy above, this story is going to be written out of order, so some chapters will take place way ahead or between some events in the past. This chapter was supposed to be short, but it ended up almost three times the length of a normal chapter.**

_Omake: The Dream_

On a hot summer afternoon,  
>I fell asleep.<p>

On a late fall night,  
>I had a nightmare<p>

On an early spring morning,  
>I fell in love.<p>

On a winter midnight,  
>I ran away.<p>

On the 100th day,  
>I lost myself.<p>

On the last winter,  
>I turned cold.<p>

And in three years,  
>I woke up.<p>

"I'm tired of dreaming."

**Cookies for everyone that can accurately interpret and explain this omake!**

**Review Replies:**

**Sereneskydragonslayer: Yup. Brutality is always the favorite.**

**Kuroyuki no Ryu: Awww thanks! I happy to know that somebody read it! What part of the beginning of Chapter 5 stood out to you (just curious)?**

**AceofSpadez6969: Ahhh thank you! Here is a longer chapter that I did not poop out at 12 o'clock midnight.**

**Rincchi Okumura: I am very glad to hear that! I wasn't sure if people would like this slightly OOC version of Kaneki (from the latest chapters)**

**Numbkid: Here is a longer chapter. ^^/ I'm planning to write some chapters that focus on Kaneki's interactions with the SnK characters, so rest assured.**

**Marshman101: Yup! I'd say Kaneki suffered more though (check out the latest :re chapters if you aren't sure what I mean)**


	7. Notice

Sorry~! I'm going to take a minor break because of midterms, so please expect a long chapter or maybe two shorter ones next week. Also, I have a poll on my profile page; can you guy's check it out? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

I'm working on two oneshots. They'll be up around next week as well~!(I hope). They're not going to be posted as an omake for _Our Last Hope_ so you'll have to go to my profile page to find it.

Here's a different question.  
>Would you prefer?<p>

1) Short chapters every week

2) Long chapters for every two weeks

3) One huge chapter for every month


	8. Important Notice!

Sorry~! I'm going to take another break (the chapter I've been working on is killing me). I have recently been commissioned by two people and I also have an otome game in development. Because of the new and more pressuring deadlines, I have decided to put aside writing for a while until I have some breathing space to write again.

If anyone is interested, the otome game is called _Fallen Bloom_ and is based on Chinese mythology. The demo will be out soon, and I'll continue writing around that time.

My first one-shot is out! It is called _Erinnerst du dich mein Lied?_ It is German for "Do you remember my song?" The song part is probably confusing, but the explanation will be uploaded.

I have decided to settle with 1 chapter for every 2 weeks. Majority rules.

Thanks to everyone who took part in my surveys!


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